Japan-Russia Territorial Issue (Beyond the Cold War)

I. 20th Century　

1. Gorbachev and the End of the Cold War

　In April, 1991, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev visited Japan, and in the Joint Statement made with PM Toshiki Kaifu, confirmed that the territorial issue pertained to the Habomais, Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup.

　In September, the “Visa-less Exchange Program” was launched.

　In December, the Soviet Union was succeeded by the Russian Federation, and the Cold War era came to an end.

　2.Russian Proposal on Early Reversion of the Habomais and Shikotan

(According to K. Togo, former Japanese Foreign Ministry official and Russian expert, interviewed on January 8, 2012 by Yomiuri Newspaper)

　Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev, on a visit to Japan in March, 1992, conveyed the following proposal to Japanese FM Michio Watanabe on reversion of the Habomais and Shikotan even before a Peace Treaty was in place:

(i)Consultations on timing and procedure of reversion, for the Habomais and Shikotan;

(ii)Transfer of the same 2 islands to Japan;

(iii)Consultations on the handling of Kunashir and Itrup;

(iv)After reaching agreement, conclusion of peace treaty.

　The Japanese side declined, adhering to its claim for reversion of the 4 islands, preferably in one cluster.

　3. Tokyo Declaration

　In October, 1993, the Tokyo Declaration was signed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and PM Morihiro Hosokawa, confirming that the question pertained to Iturup, Kunashir, the Habomais and Shikotan, and remained open to negotiations in that respect.

　4. UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

　In April, 1994, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force, and consequently, territorial waters of 12 nautical miles, the Exclusive Economic Zone of 200 nautical miles and continental shelf of 200 nautical miles were universally recognized, thus extending the jurisdiction of coastal states, especially with respect to fisheries and development of seabed resources.

　It came into force in June, 1996 for Japan, and in March, 1997 for Russia.

　5. First Chechen War

　This took place from 1994 to 1996, when Russian forces attempted to regain control over Chechenya, which had declared independence.

　6. Kranoyarsk Agreement

　In November, 1997, in Kranoyarsk, Japanese PM Ryutaro Hashimoto and President Boris Yeltsin agreed to make all efforts to achieve a Peace Treaty by the year 2000, on the basis of the Tokyo Declaration.

　7. Fishing Agreement

　In February, 1998, in Moscow, the Framework Agreement on safe Fishing in the vicinity of the Northern Territories was signed by Japanese FM Keizo Obuchi and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov.

　The fishing zone was to cover 3-12 nautical miles on both the Pacific and Okhotsk sides of the 4 islands, and concomitantly, the Japanese side agreed to pay 25 million yen for protection of the environment and 240 million yen in technical and humanitarian aid earmarked for Sakhalin.

　8. Kawana Agreement

　In April, 1998, in Kawana, Japan, PM Ryutaro Hashimoto and Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed that the territorial question should be settled on the basis of Article 2 of the 1993 Tokyo Declaration, and should cover the agreed principles for promoting friendship and cooperation between the 2 countries toward the 21st century.

　 The Japanese reportedly proposed that the borderline should be drawn between Urup and Iturup, without setting specific time limits for ending Russian administration over the 4 islands.

　9. 2nd Chechen War

　 This began in October, 1999, and continued until February, 2000, when Grozny was recaptured by the Russians and the Chechen regime fell apart.

　10. Change of Russian Leadership

　In December, 1999, Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned, and Vladimir Putin became his successor.

II. 21st Century

　1. Russia reconfirms 1956 Declaration

　In September, 2000, President Vladimir Putin paid a visit to Japan. He and Japanese PM Yoshiro Mori signed the Statement on the Issue of a Peace Treaty.

　 The Russian President was keen on achieving progress toward a peace treaty, and his basic stance seemed to be, that the issue should be settled on the basis of reversion of the 2 islands, i.e. the Habomais and Shikotan, as set out in the1956 Joint Declaration.

　2. Japanese Consulate on Sakhalin

　In January, 2001, Japan opened its Consulate-General in Yuzno-Sakhalinsk, in southern Sakhalin. This was construed by many, as tantamount to a tacit recognition by the Japanese Government that southern Sakhalin was part of the Russian Federation.

　3. Irkutsk Statement

　 Japanese PM Yoshiro Mori visited Irkutsk, Russia in March, 2001, and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

　They signed the Irkutsk Statement, which confirmed that the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration of 1956 was a fundamental legal document at the starting point of peace treaty negotiations, and reaffirmed that the peace treaty should be concluded through solution of the territorial issue over the 4 islands, on the basis of the Tokyo Declaration of 1993.

　 During these talks, PM Mori floated the idea of discussing the reversion of the Habomais and Shikotan on the one hand, and the attribution of Kunashir and Iturup on the other, in parallel fashion.

　4. Neo-Conservatism

(1) The IT speculative bubble in the US burst in March, 2000, and in January, 2001, newly-elected President George W. Bush assumed office in Washington DC. There came a shift of mood toward “neo-conservatism” in the US.

(2) In April, 2001, PM Junichiro Koizumi formed a new government in Japan. The new FM Makiko Tanaka declared that Japan would return to the “4 islands, comprehensive settlement” approach.

　 PM Koizumi conveyed this to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 Summit Meeting in Genoa.

(3) On September 11, 2001, the large-scale and simultaneous terrorist attack was carried out in the US by Al Qaeda, prompting the war on terrorism, with the war in Afghanistan starting in October, 2001, eventually leading to the Iraq War of (March to May) 2003.

　Japan, with its own share of victims from 9.11, provided support in this war on terrorism, and further, sent its Self Defense Forces to Iraq to assist in its nation building in the wake of the Iraq War.

(4) As late as in October, 2001, in Shanghai, on the margins of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting , PM Koizumi and President Putin agreed that the 2 sides should conduct discussions regarding the transfer of Habomai and Shikotan on the one hand, and the attribution of Kunashir and Iturup on the other, in simultaneous and parallel ways.

(5) However, subsequent developments apparently had a dampening effect on negotiations between Japan and Russia, and progress stalled, the Japanese becoming more conservative, reverting to the “4 islands, comprehensive” approach.

5. Damansky Islands

(1) In 2004, under Vladimir Putin’s Presidency and Dmitry Medvedev’s Premiership, Russia successfully concluded negotiations with China, and settled the border issue concerning the Damansky Islands that started with skirmishes in 1969, thus completing the task of mending fences with China.

(2) These 2 leaders had made their careers in the Russian FSB that comprises the border control services that guard, among others, Russia’s borders with Japan along the Kurile chain of islands.

(3) If they are able to settle the border issue with Japan, they will have completed the task of settling Russia’s borders along the whole of its expansive territory in Siberia and the Far East, which will no doubt be a historic feat.

6. Fishing Fatality

　 In August, 2006, a Japanese fishing boat was shot at by a Russian patrol boat near Kaigara Island (Habomais) and one crew member was killed.

　This served to remind the Japanese that leaving the territorial issue unsolved may cause real risks and dangers for Japanese fishing boats operating in the area.

　As if in response, in December that year, the 3.5 Solution (dividing the total land area of the 4 islands into 2) was floated by Japanese PM Taro Aso, but discarded later.

7. New Russian President

　 In May, 2008, Dmitry Medvedev became Russian President, and Vladimir Putin, his Prime Minister.

8. Worldwide Recession

(1) An important factor that prevented progress was the world-wide economic recession that started in September, 2008, with the failure of Lehman Brothers.

(2) Until then, while the Russian economy was on the upswing, propped up by rising oil prices, Russia could take a comparatively flexible stance on the territorial issue, and there was a similar, mirror situation in Japan under its LDP Government.

　 (3) After the “Lehman Shock,” however, the Russian economy suffered from lower oil prices, and recession took hold of the Japanese economy as well. The net effect was that Russia and Japan began to take on a more inflexible, harsher attitude toward each other.

9. Obama Administration

(1) In January, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the new US President, to head a Democratic Administration.

(2) The new START agreement with Russia was finalized in February, 2011.

(3) The death of Osama Bin Laden in a US military operation in May, 2011, brought psychological relief in the US after 10 years of war against terrorism.

(4) The US began to shift priorities in foreign policy in consistency with calls for fiscal austerity, in order to help correct the budget deficit.

　 US troops started to withdraw from Afghanistan in July, 2011; troops in Iraq were scheduled to complete withdrawal by the end of 2011.

10. Sakhalin II

(1) In February, 2009, the LNG plant Sakhalin II was completed in northern Sakhalin, and started to produce LNG for distribution not only in Sakhalin Oblast (including the 4 disputed islands) and Siberia, but also for exportation to Japan and South Korea.

　This was a major development that triggered an economic boom and expansion on Sakhalin, benefiting the Kurile chain of islands as well, dramatically raising living standards, very much to serve the aims of the Kurile Islands Socio-Economic Development Plan (2007-2015)

(2) The LNG is carried on ice-breaking tankers from Prigorodnoye in southern Sakhalin to Chiba through Soya Kaikyo (La Perouse Strait) into the Sea of Japan and then through Tsugaru Kaikyo into the Pacific Ocean, thus largely avoiding ice on the Okhotsk Sea in winter, and avoiding the 4 disputed islands at the same time.

11. Japanese Diet revises Law on Northern Territories

　In July, 2009, the Law on Special Measures to Promote Settlement of the Northern Territories Issue, etc, was revised to include the expression “territories attributable solely to Japan.”

　This met with resentment from Russia, which stopped receiving humanitarian aid from Japan, and the Chairman of the Russian Upper House paid a visit to Shikotan in August.

12. New Japanese Government

　Following Diet elections, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party ended its longtime rule, and the more leftist Democratic Party formed a new government in September, 2009.

　The new government adopted a more independent-minded foreign policy, symbolized by emphasis on alleviating the burden of US bases in Okinawa.

13. Russia and Norway reach accord on Maritime Delimitation

　 On September 15, 2010, Russia and Norway signed a Treaty concerning Maritime Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean that established a new maritime boundary by dividing the disputed area nearly in half.

　 The treaty also provided for continued fisheries cooperation, as well as for cooperation on exploiting petroleum deposits that extend across the delimitation line.

14. Russia’s Socio-Economic Development Plan

　Consecutive visits by Russian VIP’s to the disputed islands, starting with President Medvedev in autumn, 2010, demonstrated a keen interest to consolidate Russian rule and to achieve higher standards of living there, in accordance with Russia’s 2007-2015 Plan for Socio-Economic Development in the Kurile Islands.

15. Japanese Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Crisis (March 11, 2011)

(1) Russia was very generous and sympathetic in extending emergency assistance to Japan, as if to reciprocate for Japanese assistance to Russians on the disputed islands victimized by the 1994 earthquake.

(2) There may now be less resistance to the spirit of Irkutsk, with patience, flexibility and innovation, and a strong sense of regional solidarity and mutual interdependence.

16. Visa Simplification Agreement

　 On January 28, 2012, this Agreement was signed in Tokyo by Japanese FM Genba and Russian FM Lavrov, with a view to simplifying entry visa procedures, especially for Japanese nationals seeking entry into Russia.

17. Hikiwake Solution

　In March, just before presidential elections in Russia, Vladimir Putin was interviewed by a Japanese newspaper.

　As a judo practitioner and aficionado, he said he would aim for final settlement of the territorial issue with Japan on the basis of a mutually acceptable compromise, using the judo term “hikiwake (draw).”

18. Vladimir Putin is returned as Russian President

　In March, 2012, Russian Presidential elections took place, and Vladimir Putin was chosen once again to be President, this time, for a term of 6 years.

　In early May, he assumed office, and formed a new Cabinet. Dmitry Medvedev, the former President, was appointed Prime Minister. Both Foreign Minister Lavrov and Defense Minister Serdyukov kept their positions.

　Given the new Russian President’s penchant for an “Eastern Shift” policy, development of the Far East and Siberia became a priority item on the agenda, and a new Minister was appointed to oversee the Development of the Far East.

19. Reactivation of Territorial Discussions

　On June 18, Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Los Cabos, Mexico, and agreed to reactivate territorial negotiations, pursue discussions in a quiet environment, and to have Japanese FM Koichiro Gemba visit Russia in the summer.

20. Russian PM’s visit to Kunashir

(1) On June 26, a Japanese fishing boat with 2 crew members was detained by a Russian patrol boat off the northern coast of Kunashir, and sent to Yuzhno-Kurilsk.

(2) On July 3, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev visited Kunashir, and pointed out before the media that the island was Russian territory at its extremities, and not a single bit was to be conceded.

(3) Political analysts in Moscow interpreted the visit as a hint and suggestion that Russia and Japan should return to the “parallel approach” pursued before April, 2001.

(4) The 2 detained Japanese crew members were released on July 14.

21. Japanese FM visits Russia

　On July 28, Japanese FM Koichiro Gemba visited Sochi, Russia, held talks with FM Sergey Lavrov and also paid a visit to President Vladimir Putin.

　It was agreed that past agreements and the principles of law and justice should form the basis of negotiations on the territorial issue, and that due regard should be given to mutual trust and national sentiment on both sides.

　Discussions were to be held frequently, in a quiet and constructive environment at the highest level, as well as the FM and Vice-Ministerial levels.

　In talks with the Russian Foreign Minister, the Japanese Foreign Minister stressed the increasing importance of resolving the territorial issue, and mentioned the 2001 Irkutsk Statement as a major document to be taken into account.

22. APEC in Vladivostok

　This meeting became both a symbol of and staging ground for Russia’s new Shift East policy.

　On September 8, during this APEC meeting, Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed a range of issues including bilateral cooperation.

　They presided over the signing of an Agreement to deal with illegal fishing and the smuggling of marine products. The Japanese Prime Minister stated that he wished to promote oceanic cooperation, including the Arctic region.

　The two leaders agreed to continue discussions on the territorial issue in a quiet environment, and agreed that the Japanese PM should visit Russia in December, 2012.

23. New LDP Government

　A new government was formed in Japan by the LDP led by PM Shinzo Abe in December, 2012.

(2013)

(1) On January 9, 2013, former Japanese PM Yoshiro Mori, while on TV, answered questions on the Russian President’s idea for a “hikiwake (draw)” solution, stating that,

　 “Were I to have my way, I might draw the borderline between Kunashir and Iturup, giving priority to reversion of the 3 islands, the Habomais, Shikotan, and Kunashir.”

(2) The following day, January 10, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated to the press that Japan’s aim was to solve the question of attribution of the 4 islands and to conclude a Peace Treaty with Russia, adding that, as long as the 4 islands were attributable to Japan, there could be flexibility on the matter of actual timing of reversion.

(3) Former PM Yoshiro Mori visits Moscow (Feb 20~22)

(a) Former PM Yoshiro Mori visited Moscow in preparation for PM Shinzo Abe’s official visit to Russia planned for April, and met with President Vladimir Putin, to whom he handed PM Abe’s letter, and conveyed Abe’s strong attachment to relations with Russia, with strong hopes for his coming official visit to Russia. President Putin said he indeed looked forward to the coming visit.

(b) Mori stressed the importance of the Communiqué signed by Putin and Mori in 2001 in Irkutsk, confirming validity of the 1956 Joint Declaration that mentioned reversion of the Habomais and Shikotan following conclusion of a peace treaty. He emphasized it was important for Putin and Abe to take a decision for a final settlement to the territorial question.

　 Putin concurred, saying the lack of a peace treaty between the 2 countries was quite abnormal.

(c) In reply to Mori’s question regarding Putin’s use of the judo term “hikiwake,” Putin explained it was a solution without either victory or defeat, and acceptable to both sides, and the 2 countries needed to come back to the “tatami ring” (negotiating table) to restart discussions on the issue.

(d) Mori suggested that a solution acceptable to both countries should be explored by the respective foreign ministries before the end of the year, and Putin concurred.

(e) In a speech delivered in the Moscow College of International Relations, Mori underscored the need for both countries to make concessions.

(4) Foreign Ministers Meeting (London)

　 On April 10, in London, Japanese FM Fumio Kishida met with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, to prepare for the Japanese PM’s visit to Russia in April.

　 FM Kishida stated that the aim of the visit lay in building trust and confidence with the Russian President, to set the direction for developing bilateral relations, and to restart negotiations on the territorial issue, and FM Lavrov shared this view.

(5) Japanese PM’s Visit to Russia

　 At the end of April, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe made an official visit to Russia, and met with President Vladimir Putin on April 29. It was the first such visit to be made in 10 years, and PM Abe was accompanied by an economic mission of 120 members from Japan’s private enterprises.

(a) The 2 leaders adopted the Joint Statement on the Development of the Bilateral Partnership. They agreed that the Russian FM would visit Japan in autumn, and also agreed to hold a 2+2 Meeting consisting of their Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers.

(b) They were in agreement that the absence of a Peace Treaty notwithstanding 67 years since the end of WWII was not a normal state of affairs, and they gave instructions to their Foreign Ministries to step up contacts with a view to finding a mutually acceptable solution, thus announcing the restart of substantive negotiations.

(c) The Russian President is quoted as having mentioned that, in the case of Russia’s border settlement with China on the Damansky Islands (2008), as well as the maritime delimitation with Norway in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean (2010), the areas in question were divided roughly in half, adding that, these 2 cases were not rooted in WWII and not so difficult to resolve.

(The Japanese PM answered to reporters that the Russian President had not made any concrete proposals for a similar settlement on the border issue with Japan.)

(6) G8 Summit

　The Japanese PM and Russian President met again on June 17 during the G8 Summit (UK) and agreed that Russian FM Sergey Lavrov would visit Japan in autumn.

　 Peace treaty negotiations would be pursued at the Deputy FM level in accordance with the agreement in Moscow in April, and the 2 leaders would keep a close grip on the matters to be discussed.

(7) On June 20, Japanese Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masaji Matsuyama visited St Petersburg, Russia and held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

　 They underscored the need to settle the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty.

(8) G20 Summit

　On September 5, 2013, PM Shinzo Abe met with President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg during the G20 Summit Meeting.

(a) They agreed that the Russian Foreign and Defence Ministers would visit Japan on November 1~2, for the 2+2 Meeting.

(b) With regard to the peace treaty, they agreed on the principle of “no winners, nor losers,” and that discussions should be pursued in a friendly and quiet environment. Deputy FM level discussions would be continued to pave the way for progress.

(9) From Sept 19~23, Ichita Yamamoto, Japanese Cabinet Minister Especially in Charge of Issues on Okinawa and the Northern Territories, visited Iturup and Kunashir, the first Japanese ministerial visit to the Northern Territories in 8 years.

　Upon his return to Japan, he expressed his determination to resolve the territorial issue through patient and steadfast negotiations.

(10) APEC Summit

　On October 7, PM Shinzo Abe met with President Vladimir Putin in Bali, Indonesia, during the APEC Summit Meeting.

　On the peace treaty, the Japanese PM wished to see the next round of Deputy FM level talks take place at an early stage, and the Russian President suggested such a meeting in tandem with the 2+2 Meeting in November.

(11) 2+2 Meeting (Tokyo)

(a) On November 1, Japanese FM Fumio Kishida met with Russian FM Seigei Lavrov in Tokyo.

　They agreed that discussions should be held at the Deputy FM level toward the end of January or beginning of February, to continue negotiations on a peace treaty.

(b) The next day, the Foreign and Defence Ministers discussed a broad range of issues including regional security and cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.

(12) On December 17, the Japanese government unveiled its National Security Strategy, setting out Japan’s basic policy on foreign relations and national security.

　With regard to relations with Russia, cooperation was to be pursued in all areas, notably security and energy, with a view to elevating bilateral relations as a whole.

　On the territorial issue, the question of attribution of the 4 northern islands was to be resolved, and a peace treaty concluded.

(13) From December 25~27, Toshimitsu Motegi, the Japanese Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry visited Russia, and met with his counterparts, the Russian Ministers for Economic Development, for Energy, and for Development of the Far East as a follow-up to PM Shinzo Abe’s meeting with President Vladimir Putin in April.

(2014)

(1) On February 8, in Sochi, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the 5th such meeting to take place between them.

(2) On February 13, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, reporting to the Budget Committee, House of Representatives, on his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, stated that he was determined to settle the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty with Russia during his tenure of office as Prime Minister.

(3) On February 18, the Estonian FM Urmas Paelo visited Moscow, met with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, and signed a new border agreement.

(4) On February 18, following discussions with his Estonian counterpart, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told reporters that he did not view the issue with Japan as a territorial argument, mentioning that Russian claims over the 4 islands in dispute were justified by the results of World War II and confirmed in the UN Charter.

　 However, he did not deny the possibility of negotiations with Japan, adding that Russia’s position was grounded on realism as well as on the many legal instruments concluded with Japan.

(5) On February 20, former Japanese PM Yoshiro Mori mentioned in a speech that, in case Russia was unable to comply with Japan’s strong request for reversion of all 4 islands, a special zone could be created, to be jointly administered by the 2 countries.

(6) On February 26, in the aftermath of the political reversal in Ukraine, Russian forces began to apply pressure toward its eastern border, while the Russian navy took control of Crimea. In March, there was a resolution passed in the Crimean Parliament and also a vote by Crimean residents to join the Russian Federation, and Russia formally annexed the Peninsula on March 21.

(7) With regard to the crisis in eastern Ukraine that followed, Japan was faced with the dilemma of following the policy line of the G7, including sanctions, although she was not directly affected by the crisis, while looking forward to continued dialogue with Russia, in pursuit of a territorial settlement and peace treaty.

(8) It was reported (on Oct. 15) that in September, Russia had made a proposal to Japan for building underwater gas pipelines linking Sakhalin and Hokkaido.

(9) On August 13, Russian military forces undertook military exercises on Kunashir and Iturup, to which Japan responded with protestations that it was a grave affront, requesting cancellation. The Russian side took no heed, stating it had a right to conduct such exercises on Russian territory.

　In close succession, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Crimea to oversee the results of annexation. If one recalls that the Yalta Conference of Feb., 1945 was held in Crimea, this could be a silent reminder that Soviet annexation of the Kurile Islands was agreed upon in Yalta by the Soviet Union, US, and UK; it was not a unilateral initiative, but jointly endorsed by the Allied Powers.

(10) In the summer of 2014, oil prices fell in a historical downturn, caused by slowdown in the Chinese economy and glut in the US market due to increased shale oil production. This had a largely detrimental effect on the Russian economy, already burdened by G7 sanctions, and very dependent on energy exports.

(11) On September 22, a new airport was completed in Iturup, and the opening ceremony was attended by Russian dignitaries, provoking protestations from the Japanese side.

(12) On October 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported to have ordered 17.600 Russian troops deployed in southern Russia, near the east Ukrainian border, to leave the area and to return.

(13) On October 13, former Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama visited Moscow and met with Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Duma, to discuss bilateral relations. He conveyed his personal views that Japan’s sanctions against Russia on account of Ukraine were under US pressure and a mistake, to which the Russian Chairman replied this was well understood. Hatoyama is also reported to have requested transmission of a letter to President Vladimir Putin.

(14) On November 9, PM Shinzo Abe met with President Vladimir Putin for discussions during the APEC Summit in Beijing.

　The 2 leaders shared the view that they should start preparations for a visit to Japan by the Russian President at an appropriate time in 2015. PM Abe expressed his views on how to proceed in the negotiations for concluding a peace treaty, based on the Joint Statement of April 2013, and had a frank exchange of views with the Russian President.

(15) On December 8, discussions were held in Tokyo between the Foreign Ministries of Japan and Russia at the DG level, and on February 12, 2015, the Japanese Deputy FM visited Moscow, met with his Russian counterpart and held wide-raging discussions on the whole span of bilateral relations, including President Vladimir Putin’s coming visit to Japan.

(16) On the crisis in Ukraine, the heads of states and governments concerned including the Ukrainian and Russian Presidents, reached agreement on February 12 in Minsk for a ceasefire to start on February 15.